Is it Safe for Child to Sit in 2-Seat Car?

My husband drives a small pickup with just two seats. Is it safe for my 8-year-old daughter to ride in this two-seat car?

-Sandra

Dear Sandra,

Children, defined as those under age 13, are safest in the rear seat of a car, due to possible injury and even death from the front-seat air bag, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, one of the two safety agencies that perform crash-test ratings.

Even so, most states don't mandate this. According to the IIHS, only 13 states require kids to sit in the rear of a car regardless of whether the car has a front-seat passenger air bag, while just four states require them to be in the rear unless the air bag is deactivated.

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Even if it is not required by law in your state, it's safest to make sure you deactivate the front passenger air bag in your two-seat car when your daughter is a passenger.

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